The Crazy Plan
by Chooser of the Slain
Summary: Set after Empty Places. Buffy comes up with a different plan for dealing with the First Evil.
1. Prologue

_My note: I don't own the characters or concepts. I'm posting this for a friend._

**The Crazy Plan**

**Prologue**

Buffy Summers wandered. She'd been wandering for some time now. Half an hour? An hour? More probably. She didn't really notice, didn't really care.

All around her, the town was falling apart. People were packing up, leaving, getting out while they still could.

Something big was gonna go down. They could all feel it, everyone of them, and most of the time, they had absolutely no idea what was going on.

Buffy watched one family hastily pack everything they could into their old station wagon, before speeding off into the darkness. An entire lifetime, packed up in one car... She hoped they make it; she wasn't sure she would.

Her friends' words echoed in her ears.

_"Maybe it ends OK the way you wanna play it, but maybe it doesn't," Faith said, an edge to her voice. "And right now, I don't think I want you playin' the odds."_

Of all people, she thought Faith would understand. This was what they did, what they'd always done.

Then when her friends weighed in? It felt like the ground was crumbling out from under her.

"_There is something there," Buffy insisted._

"_Maybe," Giles admitted. "But we can't be sure of that. This is a hell of a lot to ask."_

"_Too much," Wood agreed._

For seven years, she'd been the slayer, the one girl, more or less. For seven years, she'd protected them, even from themselves. Now, that wasn't good enough.

"_Why are you always standing up for her?" Kennedy demanded, frustrated._

"_I'm not," Willow said softly, her voice sad._

"_What do you mean, you're not?" Buffy asked, confused._

Buffy shook her head, trying to get rid of that feeling of hurt, of betrayal.

_"I'm trying to see your point here, Buff..." Xander started. "But I guess it must be a little bit to my left... 'cause I just don't."_

Buffy stopped. She could still hear the desperation in her own voice.

"_Wait. Guys..." she pleaded. "I can't watch you just throw away everything that -- I know I'm right about this. I just need a little -- I can't stay here and watch her lead you into some disaster."_

_"Then you can't stay here," Dawn said. "Buffy, I love you, but you were right. We have to be together on this. You can't be a part of it. So I need you to leave. I'm sorry, but this is my house, too."_

Now, she just felt tired and alone, abandoned. Even her own sister didn't believe in her.

Thrusting her hands deep into her pockets, Buffy started moving again. She'd have to find somewhere to bed down for the night.

She picked a house at random, made her way up the drive, to the front door. It was too easy to force the door. She stepped inside.

And got a gun pointed at her head by a nervous-looking home owner. "Don't move!" He ordered, inching closer, the gun wavering slightly. "Get out of my house."

"Hey," Buffy said quietly. She snatched the gun easily from his unsuspecting hands. "I thought the place would be empty. I was looking for a place to crash. You know, you really should leave."

"You can't just kick me out of my own house," the guy said incredulously.

"Why not? It's what all the cool kids are doing nowadays," Buffy said, feeling numb. She shrugged her shoulders. "It's not your house. It's not your town. Not anymore."

Buffy made her way to the guy's kitchen, to the fridge. She opened it up, poking around inside. "Got any Tab?"

But the guy had already gone. She was alone again. Always alone. She made her way to the bedroom. Lying down on the bed, Buffy waited for sleep to come.

* * *

"We're back!" Andrew announced cheerfully as they entered the Summers residence. The kitchen went quiet as Spike followed Andrew in. 

He looked around. The whole gang was here, minus Buffy.

"Spike," Giles said. The distaste in his voice was obvious. Spike ignored it.

"Hey," Spike said.

"Hi, everybody," Andrew said. "I missed you guys a lot. Sorry we took so long getting back from our mission but we had to wait out the sun and, well, I think our mission went very well. We rode on Spike's hog, which was very cool, and played some amusing games and, oh, we got some information. But do you know what? I really need to urinate."

Spike watched him go for a moment. "He's a breath of fresh air, isn't he? Thank god I don't breathe," Spike said. "So I think we got a lead. Where's Buffy?"

Nobody would meet his eyes. Finally, Dawn spoke up. "She's not here right now."

"When's she get back?"

Again, nobody would look him in the eyes. There was tension in the air. It was unmistakable. He'd have to be really dense to miss it.

"While you were gone, we all got together and talked out some disagreements that we were having," Willow started, obviously nervous. "And eventually, after much discussion, Buffy decided that it would be best for all of us if she took a little time off. A little breather."

Right. That sounded about as believable as the whelp being the one who saw everything.

"Uh-huh. I see," said Spike. "Been practising that little speech long, have you? So Buffy took some time off right in the middle of the apocalypse and it was her decision?"

"Well, we all decided," Xander said.

Spike looked around at the room's occupants. "Oh, yeah, you all decided," he said, disgusted. "You sad, sad, ungrateful traitors. Who do you think you are?"

"We're her friends. We just want--"

He wasn't about to let her rationalise this, let her blame everything on the slayer. No, he had a pretty clear picture of things. "Oh, that's ballsy of you," Spike interrupted. "You're her friends and you betray her like this?"

"You don't understand," the bleeding Watcher said.

"You know, I think I do, Rupert," Spike said, fixing him with a look. "You used to be the big man, didn't you? The teacher, all full of wisdom. Now she's surpassed you and you can't handle it." He looked around at all of them, disgusted. They had the good grace, at least, to look ashamed. "She has saved your lives again and again. She has died for you. And this is how you thank her?"

Faith stepped up.

"Hey, why don't you take it down a notch or two?" Faith demanded, all tough-girl. "The time for speech-giving is over, bad boy."

"Oh, is that right?"

"Yeah, that's right," Faith said. "Save your lack of breath."

"All right."

He punched Faith in the face. It was easy. She wasn't Buffy. She wasn't as tough. She was nothing, just another slayer, and Spike had already killed two.

Faith stumbled back a few steps.

"You're pretty sweet on her, aren't you?" Faith asked. She kicked him. He stumbled back. "I think it's cute -- the way she's got you whipped."

She kicked him again. She was sloppy. All power and no finesse. He was about to show her just how good she wasn't, he was about to start taking things seriously, when the bleeding Watcher interrupted.

"Enough!"

Spike couldn't resist getting one last dig in. "Finally got what you wanted, didn't you?" He sneered. "Where is she?"

"I don't know," Faith said quietly.

There was no point in continuing this. There wasn't anything here, just a bunch of ingrates. Spike took one last look around, then turned and left, the kitchen door slamming behind him.


	2. The hard choice

_My note: this is where it actually starts branching out._

**1. The hard choice**

Buffy woke up slowly. She wasn't even aware of having fallen asleep.

She could feel his strong arms around her, his skin touching hers, an unnatural room temperature. Spike. She took comfort in his presence next to her.

He came looking for her last night. She could still remember the things he said, trying to cheer her up.

_"A hundred plus years and there's only one thing I've ever been sure of. You."_

She'd been lost, and he cared enough to try and bring her back to herself. He was the only one that cared enough.

_"I'm not asking you for anything," Spike said. "When I say I love you, it's not because I want you, or because I can't have you. It has nothing to do with me. I love what you are, what you do, how you try."_

He loved her because she tried. But last night, she'd been on the verge of giving up.

"_I've seen your kindness and your strength. I've seen the best and the worst of you and I understand with perfect clarity exactly what you are," Spike said. "You are a hell of a woman. You're the one, Buffy."_

"_I don't want to be the one," Buffy said, tearfully._

_Spike smirked. "I don't want to be this good-looking and athletic. We all have crosses to bear."_

He'd brought her back to herself, reminded her of who she was. She'd asked him to stay with her, the only one of her friends who hadn't betrayed her.

With his arms around her, she felt warm, and safe, and protected, like when...

That was it!

Buffy looked up at Spike's sleeping face. She knew what to do now! She'd tried so hard to suppress what her friends had done to her last year, what they'd taken from her, that the thought hadn't even occurred to her before now.

Ascension.

A smile touched her lips, both that Spike came for her, and that, because of him, she now had an answer.

"What are you smiling about, luv?"

Buffy's smile broadened. "I know what I have to do now."

"You going to the vineyard then?" Spike asked.

Buffy shook her head. "Nope."

"What's the plan then?"

"Something my mom's people learned to do, a long time ago," Buffy answered cryptically.

Spike sat up, a confused frown on his face. "Your mum's people?" He asked. "What are you talking about, slayer?"

She'd learned about her mom the last time she'd died. She hadn't ascended all the way then, but to one of the levels between this corporeal existence and the plane that her mom had lived on. She didn't know everything, but she knew that her mom was one of the Ascended, once, a long time ago.

Buffy smiled again. She pulled him back down to the bed, and they just lay there, looking at each other.

"It's called ascension," Buffy said quietly. If she could pull it off this time...

"Right," said Spike. "I heard about that, like what the mayor tried to do, right?"

Buffy shook her head. "It's totally different."

She smiled at his frown. He didn't understand, but that was okay. She wasn't sure she knew everything either; she just knew that this was the answer.

Caleb was too strong. She couldn't go after whatever it was he was guarding alone, and she couldn't risk losing the only friend she had left. Ascension was the answer.

For a long moment, they just stayed there, silent, staring into each other's eyes, taking comfort in each other's presence, content to exist in that moment. Buffy broke that silence. "I need a favour, Spike."

"What is it, luv?" Spike asked. "Anything."

Buffy hesitated. She knew he'd have a problem with this.

_"Say the word and she's a footnote in history," Spike said. "I'll make it look like a painful accident."_

He was willing to kill Faith for her, but she knew this would be difficult for him. It had to be him, though. When she was with him, she felt free, unburdened, unafraid.

"I need you to kill me," Buffy said softly.

Spike was on his feet in an instant. She could tell by the look on his face that he didn't know what to think. He didn't understand. She sat up.

"Have you lost your bleedin' mind?" Spike demanded loudly.

"I know how it sounds..." Buffy started softly.

"It sounds insane!" Spike agreed incredulously. "Is this because those poofters kicked you out?"

"No!" She got up, walking towards him. "This isn't about them. This -- it's something I have to do. And I need you to help me do it."

Spike shook his head. "No way, slayer."

"Please, Spike," Buffy pleaded gently. "At least listen to me."

She reached up and touched his face gently, drawing it down so she could look him in the eye. Spike said nothing. He was listening. "I have to die to ascend," she said softly. She smiled at him, hopeful. "If it's you that... I wouldn't be afraid. I can't be afraid to take that step so..."

Buffy looked up into Spike's eyes. He was shaking his head, looking for an out. "What makes you think this is real? Or that you can pull it off?"

"Because I've done it before," Buffy said. "Sorta."

Realisation crossed his face. "When you... before..."

Buffy nodded her head. "I... I know it's a lot to ask, but you're the only one I trust to do this," she said softly. Without breaking eye contact, she reached up and ripped her shirt away from her neck, baring the skin there. "Please."

"There's got to be another way, luv..." Spike pleaded. "This... this feels wrong."

Buffy smiled at Spike, sitting down on the bed, drawing Spike down with her. She gently touched his face. "This is the only way."

Buffy pulled Spike into an embrace, then gently drew his head down, to meet her exposed neck.

She was ready to take this step. She had let go of her burden.

For a long moment, Spike did nothing. She was about to ask him again, when she felt his cold tears on her skin. Buffy gasped in pain as Spike's teeth tore into her a moment later.

God, it hurt, but she wasn't afraid. Not with Spike here with her.


	3. The bad news

**2. The bad news**

The taste of her blood was like ash in his mouth but he still drank. It was what she wanted, even if she was condemned him by asking. He'd do anything for her.

Her breathing was shallow now, and her heart was racing, struggling. She had to be feeling light-headed now, blood loss and all. She never struggled though. She just held him.

Finally, after what felt like forever, he stopped drinking. She was still alive, but she wouldn't be for long. He laid her back gently. He held Buffy's hand, comforting her, even as crushing sorrow descended on him.

Spike was distantly aware of the front door opening, of four new scents. The witch, the whelp, Little Bit, and the ex-demon.

"Get away from her!" Xander snarled angrily.

The whelp grabbed him, tried to separate them. He tried to punch Spike, but this Spike wasn't the same vampire neutered by a chip in his head, and he wasn't about to let the whelp get the better of him. He caught Xander's fist and backhanded him hard. Xander bounced off the wall, and landed on his ass.

"Buffy!" Dawn gasped, shocked. Little Bit rushed to Buffy's side, clutching Buffy's hand.

"Spike... What did you do?" Willow asked, shocked.

Xander got up. "What's it look like? He bagged himself another slayer."

Spike was on him in an instant, slamming him up against the wall. "Watch your mouth, whelp!" He snarled angrily. "You think I wanted to do this?"

"S... Spike..." Buffy managed, her voice weak.

Spike's attention was instantly back where it should've been, her hand instantly in his.

Willow rushed to Buffy's side. "She's still alive!"

"Hang on, Buffy," Dawn pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes. "Please!"

Buffy's eyes were glassy, distant, but fixed on Spike. She didn't even seem to see the others. "T-thank... y...ou..."

Buffy gasped one last time, drawing her last breath, then she stopped breathing, went still. Dawn broke down in tears and rushed from the house. Willow followed her out a moment later.

Xander glared at Spike. "Don't think this is over, Spike." Spike didn't bother to respond. Xander was nothing, just a sidekick.

Xander turned and followed Willow and Dawn out. Anya stayed there a moment more, standing in the doorway, transfixed by the sight of Buffy's dead body.

Spike slumped down next to the bed, Buffy's hand still clasped in his. He gently closed her eyes.

The silence was deafening.

And then? Spike heard Anya gasp. He was stunned himself.

A brilliant white light engulfed her body, almost blinding them. He couldn't feel her hand in his anymore. The body had disappeared, the only evidence it had ever been there the wrinkled sheets, her clothes, and the taste in Spike's mouth.

That shapeless light, the warmth of it -- that was Buffy. Or, it felt like her. It floated there for a moment, gossamer tendrils spreading out, as if floating in some otherworldly ocean.

Then, it was gone, floated up through the ceiling, leaving Anya and Spike alone in the room. After a long moment, Anya broke the stunned silence.

"I should -- I should go. The others..."

She turned to leave. Spike just stared at where the light had been. He was crying, he realised.

* * *

The mood was grim as they made their way back inside. There were potential slayers crowding Andrew in the kitchen; it seemed he'd gone grocery shopping.

"It was pretty amazing," Andrew reported. "A whole grocery store, just abandoned. Food lying around everywhere -- well, the produce was on its way to funky town but -- the apples still look pretty good so everyone should check those out."

Everyone ignored him, too busy looking through his haul, even Giles, who went straight to a box of cookies.

"Oh, Jaffa Cakes!" He ate several of them, ecstatically. Giles looked up as they came in. "Did you find Buffy?"

Anya left the room. For a moment, nobody answered. Xander was the first one to speak. "Yeah."

"She's dead, Giles," Willow reported quietly.

The silence that fell on the kitchen was almost absolute, punctuated only by Dawn's sobbing. Every potential slayer had stopped, fallen silent. Even Andrew had shut up.

"Buffy's..." Giles couldn't bring himself to finish. "H-how?"

"It was Spike," Xander said hatefully.

"Spike killed..." Giles trailed off, trying to make sense of it. "But that's... She'd never..."

"We saw him, Giles," Willow said. "He drained her. She... She thanked him for it."

"Why would..." Giles started. "Buffy's always been able to..."

"Isn't it obvious?" Dawn demanded angrily, tears rolling freely down her cheeks. Nobody answered. "It's because of us. We did this to her. We made her do this."

Willow moved to comfort Dawn, but Dawn shrugged her off, disgusted.

"Dawnie, no," Willow protested quietly. "This... this wasn't us."

"That's right. It was Spike," Xander said. He looked around. "I think it's pretty clear what we have to do."

"We told her to leave! We're the ones that kicked her out!" Dawn yelled angrily. Her anger gave way to guilt. "If we hadn't... if I hadn't... then maybe... maybe she'd..."

Dawn broke down and ran upstairs to her room. The door slammed shut behind her.

Giles sighed, defeated. "Spike is not our only concern right now." He shook his head. "Faith hasn't returned with the other girls. Something's gone wrong."


	4. Visits

**Visits**

Faith's first foray into leadership was a disaster. The Bringers set a trap for them. Only a handful of the girls made it out.

Faith wasn't one of them.

Somehow, Amanda made it out though, and she wasn't really sure how. There had been three Turok-Han vampires. One, they could take according to Kennedy, but three? Whatever discipline they'd had broke down. After that, it was just one terrifying blur, a scramble for the safety of daylight.

Someone knocked on the door. Amanda stopped pacing. "Y-yeah?"

Giles came in, a serious look on his face. He was flanked by Willow and Xander, and they looked pretty serious too.

"There's something you should know," Giles started.

"We just got a call from the coven in England," Willow said. She looked to Giles, a little nervous.

"When Faith died, you were called," Giles said.

Amanda's knees were shaking so bad now, it felt like her legs were made of rubber.

It seemed so surreal. She knew what they were saying, she just had to ask anyway. "What? You mean I'm..."

Xander nodded. "The new slayer. Yeah."

Amanda started pacing again, panicked. "What? No. I can't be the slayer! What am I supposed to do?"

She knew it was true, though. She knew no amount of denial would change the fact that she was now the chosen one. She had never felt like this before, strong, powerful, and at the same time totally insecure.

She wondered if this was how Buffy and Faith felt, the weight of the world on their shoulders. It was on her shoulders now, and suddenly she was flashing back to all those speeches Buffy made, about what it meant to be the slayer, and suddenly she wasn't feeling so great.

"I think I'm going to hurl," Amanda said.

"Right, well, we'll just, um, we'll just give you a few moments," Giles said, obviously uncomfortable. He gave Willow and Xander a look.

"Right. We'll just, uh, give you some space," Willow agreed.

"We'll be downstairs, when you're ready," Xander said.

They backed out of the room, shutting the door behind them, leaving her alone. How was she supposed to get ready for this?

"It's hard, isn't it?"

Amanda whirled around. There was Buffy, sitting on the bed. She was dressed in a nice cream-coloured sun dress.

"B-Buffy? No," Amanda said. She shook her head in disbelief. "No, you're supposed to be dead."

"Ascended here," Buffy said, frowning. "Not dead, just living on a different plane of existence."

This had to be some kind of hallucination. Or the First! Amanda carefully took off her shoe and threw it at Buffy. It passed right through her. "You're the First."

"No. I'm really not," Buffy said, shaking her head.

Amanda frowned. "But you're non-corporeal."

"Yeah," Buffy agreed. "Part of that whole living-on-a-different-plane-of-existence thing I mentioned. I'm, I'm energy now. I don't have a body."

"What are you doing here?" Amanda asked, cautiously. This could be some kind of trick.

"I need you to leave town," Buffy said.

"Me?" Amanda asked, confused but cautious. "Why?"

"I meant you as in the whole group," Buffy explained. "Get the girls, and get out of town. Tonight."

"How come?" Amanda asked curiously.

Buffy shrugged. "This time tomorrow, there isn't going to be a Sunnydale. I'm going to take care of it. Anyone left in town when it goes down isn't going to survive."

"Can you really do that?" Amanda asked, surprised.

"Ascended being here. Of course I can," Buffy said. She fixed Amanda with a look. "But I'm gonna be breaking some pretty serious rules doing it. I'm not sure how the others are gonna react. This is a one-time save, that much I know for sure."

"Oh," Amanda said. They lapsed into silence. "Does it get any easier?"

Buffy gave her an odd look. "You'll do fine, Amanda. Trust your instincts. Don't second guess yourself. You're that one girl now, the slayer," Buffy said. "There are people that'll help you out there. There are some right downstairs."

"It's just... It's just so much," Amanda said quietly. "Too much. And I thought..."

Amanda's voice trailed off. She wasn't sure what to think. It was one thing to be a potential slayer. It was totally different to be the slayer, the one everyone was going to be depending on.

Buffy stood up.

"You'll do fine," Buffy said. She smiled reassuringly. "I have to go now. Take care of yourself, okay? And take care of them?"

Amanda nodded her head. Buffy vanished in a flash of light.

* * *

Spike was sitting alone, had been for a couple of hours now, trapped by the sunlight outside. Her scent was everywhere, but he couldn't escape. 

It was torture.

Spike kept thinking back to what happened. His mind kept taking him back to that moment: the feel of Buffy's body in his arms, the taste of her blood in his mouth, the sounds of her struggling for breath. He couldn't get out of that house soon enough.

There was no body, only empty clothes, and wrinkled sheets, and a scent that still clung to them, to him.

"Hi Spike." Buffy was standing by the window now.

"B-Buffy?" Spike asked, startled. "Is that really you?"

She nodded, offering him a smile. "It's really me." Everything else seemed to fade into the background for Spike, all sound, all thought, everything. There was only this moment with Buffy. "I made it. Because of you."

"Because I killed you," Spike said darkly.

"Because you were there for me," Buffy corrected. "Because you let me go."

Spike looked away. He couldn't bear to look at her, the woman he loved, the woman he killed. "Not to be a wet blanket or anything, but how do I know it's really you? The First does fancy looking like you."

"Why would the First want to comfort you?" Buffy asked, smiling. It was a good point. The First certainly wouldn't get its jollies making him feel better about what he did.

"I know what I'm gonna do now, Spike," Buffy said. She knelt in front of him, forcing him to look at her. He couldn't look away. She smiled at him. "That's because of you too."

"Right," Spike said. He chanced the subject, "So, what now?"

"Now? I need you to leave town," Buffy said. She raised her hand to stop any objections. "It's almost sunset, so you'll be able to leave soon without worrying about bursting into flames. Trust me, you really want to leave town before I do my thing."

Spike shook his head. He didn't understand, but he trusted her. He stood up, grabbing his duster. "You sure I shouldn't hang around? Do some damage?"

"I'm sure," Buffy said. Spike nodded his head, turned to the door. "Wait! Before you go, there's something I wanna try."

Spike stopped, turned around. Buffy got up, moves towards him. "What's that, luv?"

"My kind, uh, the Ascended, we're able to do this, uh, this sharing thing," she said, looking up into his eyes. "I want you to know I'm alright. I want you to know how I-- how I really feel."

Spike frowned, dubious and hesitant. "What would I have to do?"

Buffy smiled. "Nothing. Just, try to keep an open mind?"

Spike took a deep, unnecessary breath. Then he nodded his head. He was ready. "All right, pet."

Buffy closed her eyes, reached out to touch his face. His skin tingled, but he didn't feel her hand. She seemed to dissolve into bright, white light, moving towards him.

Spike closed his eyes.

At first, there was nothing. Then he felt it: a sense of contentment, of peace. He felt what Buffy felt for him. Warmth. Love. Not the kind of love shared between lovers, he instinctively knew, but something equally strong, equally deep.

She loved him. "Bloody hell."

That moment seemed to last an eternity. It was finally broken by Buffy's voice. "I love you."

Spike smiled, a real smile. "I know," he said, a shadow of his old cockiness. "Thank you."

Buffy just smiled. "Where will you go?"

Spike shrugged his shoulders, pulling on his duster. "Maybe I'll go annoy Peaches."

"Be nice," Buffy said. Spike gave her an even look. "Right. Just, you know, don't kill each other."

He paused at the door. "I'll see you around?"

Buffy shrugged. "Maybe. I really don't know."

Then she disappeared in a flash of light.


	5. Amanda's Discussion

**Amanda's discussion**

They were all gathered in the living room. There were fewer of them than there were two nights ago, when Buffy left, but the girls left were more than stressed enough to make up.

Amanda stood in the middle of the room, shifting her weight uncertainly from one foot to another. She was the slayer now, the one they were all looking to for protection.

"Uh, right, so, we all know why we're here," Amanda started, feeling nervous. "We have to decide what our next move's gonna be."

"Well, Caleb did tell Buffy everything's going down at the seal," Kennedy said. "I think--"

"Perhaps we should hear Amanda out?" Mister Giles suggested. "After all, she's the--"

"I think we should leave town," Amanda blurted out quickly.

Mister Giles frowned. "E-excuse me?" That was obviously not what he expected her to say. He wasn't the only one surprised.

"What?" Rona asked.

"We can't leave!" Kennedy argued.

"What about the Hellmouth?" Willow asked.

"And that creepy seal thing?" Andrew added.

Amanda shifted her weight nervously. "Buffy visited me and she said--"

Kennedy jumped to her feet. "Hey!" She said loudly. "News flash! Buffy's dead. She killed herself. We're on our own here."

Rona chimed in, not quite as aggressive, trying to sound reasonable. "It was probably the First trying to psych you out."

"What-- What exactly did she say?" Willow asked cautiously.

"She said there wouldn't be a Sunnydale this time tomorrow; she's gonna destroy it," Amanda said. And she believed her. She knew -- somehow -- that it was Buffy who'd visited, not the First Evil. "She said she'd ascended to a higher plane of existence or something."

Anya got up, crossed the room, headed for the stairs. All eyes were on her.

"Anya!" Willow called out.

"Where are you going, Ahn?" Xander asked.

"To pack," Anya said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I have accumulated many nice material possessions in the last four years I spent as a human, and I don't want to lose them."

"Come on!" Kennedy ground out. "You saw Buffy die!"

Anya frowned, turning. She shook her head, doubtful. "I'm not sure what I saw. One minute, she was dead, the next there was this blinding white light, and then there wasn't even her body."

"Good lord..." Mister Giles breathed.

Amanda looked around, taking in the reaction to this. There was surprise on Mister Giles' face. Willow was surprised too, and hopeful. She couldn't read Xander's expression.

The potentials looked mostly confused. Amanda could sympathise. Dawn looked stunned.

"Anya!" Xander chastised.

"Why-- Why didn't you tell us?" Willow asked, upset.

"You didn't ask," Anya said, matter-of-factly.

"How can you be so-- so insensitive?" Willow demanded. "Buffy's our friend!"

Anya frowned, confused. "Then why did we tell her to go?"

"We..." Willow started, flustered. "That was for her own good. She..."

Dawn got up abruptly, leaving the room. Willow followed quickly, catching her by the stairs. "Dawnie, where are you going?"

Dawn didn't even look at Willow. "To pack," she said bitterly.

"Wait! Dawnie, we don't even know if--" Willow started.

"I'm gonna trust my sister," Dawn interrupted fiercely. "Like I should've from the beginning."

She turned and hurried up the stairs. Her door slammed shut a moment later. A moment passed, then a bunch of potentials got up, following Dawn's and Anya's example.

Only the original Sunnydale people stayed behind, a handful of potentials, and Mister Giles. Kennedy stuck close to Willow.

"We cannot abandon the hellmouth," Mister Giles said quietly.

"But Giles, what if Buffy really has become this, this higher being?" Willow asked, flustered and uncertain.

"I have to make sure everyone's out of town," Amanda said, uncertain. "I promised Buffy. I-if anyone wants to come with, I'd really appreciate the company?"

Nobody moved. Nobody even seemed to hear her. They were too busy discussing the situation in hushed tones.

Amanda went to the door, grabbing a wicked-looking axe from the chest in the hall. She headed out the door. The slayer just hoped she wouldn't run into any of those Turok-Han vampires her first night on the job.


	6. The Confrontation

_The confrontation_

Amanda had been wandering around Sunnydale nearly all night. She hadn't met a single living soul, and she hadn't run into any of those scary Turok-Han ubervamps.

The sun was going to come up soon, so it looked like she wouldn't. She should be getting back, but...

Amanda wasn't sure what brought her back to the vineyard. Last time she was here, she was with Buffy and Faith, and the other girls were with her, and Buffy's friends. There was no back-up this time. It was just her.

This was a bad place. Why was she here? Because Buffy told her to trust her instincts. Uncertain as she was, this was where her instincts led her.

Amanda felt a thrill, fighting, killing the Bringers on guard duty. They weren't be expecting an attack, obviously, because she killed two of them before they could react, and the third one went down quickly.

She sneaked inside, hoping not to draw attention to herself. There were voices, coming from downstairs.

"It shouldn't be long now. Don't worry. It'll come out." That was that scary preacher guy!

"I heard you the first time, Caleb." Was that Buffy? She sounded annoyed. No, Amanda reminded herself. It was the First.

"We're almost there," Caleb said.

"That's what you said yesterday," the First-slash-Buffy said, impatient.

A Bringer tried to sneak up on her. Amanda heard the squeak of its shoe just in time. She ducked. The Bringer buried its knife in the wood of the wall. Amanda axed it in the back.

The body fell down the stairs before she could stop it. So much for sneaking in.

Amanda went down the steps cautiously. This was where they fought Caleb the last time.

He smirked. "Well if it ain't the replacement."

"Um, hi?" Amanda offered, nervously. She'd feel so much better if she had her axe, but she didn't want to take her eyes off him.

"Back to play this game again?" The crazy preacher-guy asked, smirking. "Thought you learned better last time."

He was circling her slowly, trying to intimidate her. Amanda was already frightened though. She'd pretty much reached her limit when they told her she was the slayer. He was just one more thing to be scared of.

"I don't suppose you could tell me where you've hidden whatever it is you're hiding? I don't want to cause any trouble," Amanda said nervously, turning to keep him in sight.

"Trouble?" Caleb asked. "Why, you're just a dead little girl. You just don't know it yet."

Caleb punched her. Only, she half-stumbled half-dodged out of the way, so he never connected.

Purely on reflex, she lashed out with her own punch. Caleb flinched. He actually flinched! Maybe whatever mystical-demon-steroids he was taking to make him super strong were wearing off?

One way or another, it was all over here, Amanda knew. She wished she'd never come. She was the slayer, the one girl, even if she didn't really know what she was doing. He was the bad guy.

Only one of them could walk away from this. Amanda just hoped it was her.

&&

Buffy was standing on a ledge, overlooking a vast cavern. It was just like what the Shadow Men had showed her. Her thoughts were almost drowned out by the snarling and growling of thousands, maybe tens of thousands of ubervamps.

Buffy closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. And then she said goodbye to Sunnydale, and maybe a whole lot more.

"Let's get this show on the road."

&&

Caleb threw another punch, and another. Something was definitely wrong with him. He should've killed her a bunch of times already. Amanda ducked, dodged, and wove out of the way, and miraculously managed to keep from getting squished.

For the first time since Mister Giles told her she was the next slayer, she felt maybe she could pull this off.

The scary preacher man was seriously losing his temper. Okay, he was still super-strong, but Amanda had landed several punches, and he actually seemed to have felt them. That was something, right?

"Quit messing around and kill her!" Buffy-slash-the-First snapped, annoyed.

Amanda ducked under his punch, landing another of her own. Caleb lifted a heavy cask of wine over his head, hurling it at her. She only just managed to dive out of the way.

She pulled herself to her feet, scrambling out of the way, narrowly missing another cask. Blood red wine spilled everywhere.

"I'm tryin' to do just that!" Caleb growled, his attention only on Amanda.

"Try harder," Buffy-slash-the-First said, crossing her arms over her chest and looking decidedly unimpressed.

He threw another cask. "Bitch! Stand still so I can squash you!"

And then Amanda saw it: a trap door. It'd been covered by casks of wine, but Caleb had taken care of that for her.

He rushed her. She dove for the trap door. He missed her by inches, crashing into a couple of casks of wine. The trap door shut behind her.

There it was! The weapon! Buffy was right! It was some kind of axe-thing. Whoa. Talk about shiny.

"So you found it," Caleb drawled, coming into the cave behind her. "Big deal. Question is, can you pry it from that there rock before I come over there and break you in two?"

Amanda made a dash for the weapon.

Caleb was right behind her. He grabbed her hair, yanking her back. She let out an involuntary scream of pain. Amanda twisted before he could really grab her. She punched him as hard as she could in the face. He let go. Amanda fell into a very basic fighting stance.

The ground started to shake. It was happening.

"What's goin' on?" Caleb demanded. "Are you doin' this?"

He rushed at her. Amanda kicked him in the face. Caleb stumbled back.

Now was her chance! She rushed for the weapon. This time she reached it. Strength surged through her, and confidence, the power of the slayer, as she grabbed it.

Amanda pulled the shiny axe-thing out easily, like it was meant for her. She looked around. The cave was coming down around her ears.

"This is Buffy," she whispered.

"Impossible," Caleb snarled.

He charged at her. She ducked underneath his swing, then sliced up and through him, putting all her slayer-strength behind her new weapon.

Caleb fell to pieces. Amanda wondered if she should've punned or something.

She shook her head. She had to get out of here.


	7. The Aftermath

I'm told there's a continuation of this in the works, but it hasn't happened yet.

_The aftermath_

In the end, they'd decided to leave town. They didn't go far, just to the town limits. If this was a ploy by the First, they were still in a position to do something.

So far, nothing had happened. Some of the girls were beginning to question whether anything would happen. They were anxious, they were uncertain, and some of them were worried that Amanda had been killed last night and the title of slayer would land on one of them next.

Some of the girls were secretly hoping to be the next chosen one. "Nothing's happening," Kennedy said, petulant. "We should go back to the high school and---"

It happened so suddenly that it took a moment for their eyes to adjust.

A pillar of blinding white light shot up out of the ground. The ground shook, eaten away, as the light expanded outwards, consuming first the high school, then the neighbourhoods around it, then the rest of the town.

Time seemed to stretch. A tense silence settled on them. All eyes were transfixed by that light.

Then, as suddenly as it started, it was over. The light faded, disappeared. Sunnydale was gone. There was nothing but a huge chasm where the town once was.

"Buffy..." Dawn whispered quietly.

A strange-looking weapon was thrown up over the side of the chasm. Everyone tensed. Was this some demonic survivor? A moment later, Amanda struggled to pull herself up, completely out of breath.

"Amanda!" Dawn gasped.

"C-can someone give me a hand?" Amanda stammered.

Dawn was already at the slayer's side. They managed to pull her up. For a long moment, Amanda just stayed there, on hands and knees, trying to catch her breath.

She had to have outrun the destruction. Even with the slayer's speed, she almost didn't make it.

Amanda struggled to pull herself to her unsteady feet, grabbing the weapon for support. Dawn was there to help her.

"Are you alright?" Willow asked, frowning. "You never came back last night."

"I just need to catch my breath," Amanda gasped. "I-I think it was worth it. I got this."

She brandished the strange weapon she'd carried out of harm's way. It was an axe-thing, crimson, and very shiny. All eyes turned to the weapon, some curious, some hungry.

Amanda handed the weapon off to Giles. He studied it curiously. "Where did you get it?"

"I took it from the scary preacher guy," Amanda said.

"You went up against Caleb?" Kennedy asked incredulously, and maybe a little jealously. It was pretty obvious she wanted to be the slayer.

Amanda nodded. "He's history."

"Foolish girl," Giles chastised. "Have you any idea how dangerous that was? You could've been killed."

"I had to," Amanda said, a little defensive. "That's what he was guarding. I think it's meant for the slayer. I feel... something when I hold it, like it's mine."

"Really," Giles murmured thoughtfully, studying the weapon closely. Amanda nodded her head. All attention was now on the weapon.

Dawn helped her over to one of the parked cars. They sat down on the hood. They just sat there, staring at the chasm that was Sunnydale.

"Buffy told me to trust my instincts," Amanda said after a moment. "I couldn't have done it if she hadn't believed in me."

"Yeah," Dawn said, quiet, despondent. She glanced over at Amanda, before returning her eyes to the chasm that was Sunnydale. "It was us. We didn't believe in her. She couldn't trust us anymore, so she thought she had to do it on her own... Save the world."

"She said she's happy where she is," Amanda said, maybe trying to comfort her.

Dawn looked at Amanda. She felt tears welling up in her eyes, and a moment later, she broke down completely. "She's not coming back, is she?"

Amanda put an arm around Dawn, comforting her awkwardly. She was not very good at it, but she tried. "I really don't know."

The Scoobies approached. The potentials were still crowded around Kennedy, who was handling the weapon Amanda took from Caleb like it belonged to her, like she owned it.

Something would have to be done about her too, Dawn knew. Amanda was the slayer, not Kennedy, but that wouldn't stop Kennedy from undermining Amanda's authority any.

"What happens now?" Xander asked quietly.

"With Buffy essentially dead, the imbalance in the slayer's line should sort itself out," Anya said, very matter-of-factly, earning herself a glare from Willow and Xander.

"Anya!" Willow objected. "We can't leave her like that, stuck on a totally different plane of existence!"

"Why not?" Anya asked, frowning. She really didn't understand, Dawn knew. None of them did. "All of this is our fault. We caused the imbalance when we brought Buffy back the first time. Maybe it would just be better if we left her where she is."

"I don't care!" Willow snapped, looking shocked. "She's our friend. We have to help her!"

"No," Dawn said tearfully.

"Dawnie, what are you saying?" Willow asked.

"She sacrificed herself so we could win," Xander added. "If we can get her back, we---"

"We didn't win. She did. Amanda did," Dawn interrupted.

She didn't understand what Buffy was exactly, and it didn't matter. She was happy where she was; they had no right to take that from her. Amanda was the slayer now. She was the one they'd support. Dawn offered her a smile.

"She's happy where she is, and we're not taking that away from her. Not again," Dawn said. It hurt so much that she'd been part of the reason that Buffy saw this as her only option. It hurt even more that she'd never see her sister again. She fixed them with a bitter look. "We have to live with what we did to her. We have to let her go."

Giles nodded his head sadly. He understood, Dawn thought, though it probably took this display of power by Buffy to make him understand. They existed in totally different worlds now.

Anya nodded easily, but Willow and Xander looked away. They still refused to accept they were wrong.

Then again, what could she expect? Xander never accepted responsibility for his actions, and Willow was the same way.

Dawn turned her eyes to the chasm. Her sister did this after they abandoned her, left her all alone. She protected them, even though they betrayed her.

Buffy was gone. Dawn knew things would never be the same again.


End file.
